Date/Time
Date(s) - Mon 6th Jul - Sat 11th Jul, 2026
All Day
Location
Moniack Mhor, Kiltarlity, Inverness-shire , IV4 7HT
Dramatic Writing for Stage
An active interrogation of the mechanics of playwriting, this course will creatively examine the use of dramatic action, character, location, narrative and structure in the making of a play. This course is useful both for playwrights at the beginning of their career and for writers who have written one or two plays and are looking to develop their craft.
Tutors
For more than twenty-five years Simon Stephens’ work has been widely translated and produced throughout the world. He has won many Awards including Olivier and Tony Awards for new plays. His radical adaptation of Uncle Vanya, Vanya, starring Andrew Scott ran in London’s West End and at the Lucille Lortel , New York between Autumn 23 and Spring 25 and was screened to phenomenal success on NT Live and NT Home. His most famous play is his adaptation of Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. He has had thirty five original plays produced professionally. He has written new English language versions of masterpieces by Chekhov, Ibsen and Brecht, collaborated with the world’s leading theatre practitioners and produced original work throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas. He has been Artistic Associate at the Lyric, Hammersmith and Associate Playwright at the Royal Court Theatre. He has taught playwriting workshops in five continents. He is a Professor at the Writing School of Manchester Metropolitan University. He lives in East London with his wife, three children, their snake, gecko, two cats and a dog.
Eve Leigh is an award-winning, internationally recognised writer for performance. Plays include Frankenstein Adjusts His Ring Light (And Then Starts Dancing) (Donmar Warehouse schools tour); Verbranntes Land (Schauspielhaus Wien – plays of the year, Theater Heute); Salty Irina (Paines Plough); and many more. Games, installations, and digital works include words fail: a fortune-telling game (Coney); Ghost Pine (Audible); The Delegation (Coney/Точка доступа); Invisible Summer (Royal Court); Movimento/Variations (36 маймуни/Bulgarian National Theatre Festival); Your Future (HAU/ Sophiensaele/Ballhaus Ost/Camden People’s Theatre); A Short and Boring Story (Camden People’s Theatre).Awards include Nestroy Prize Best New Play nomination 2025, Berlin Theatertreffen Stueckemarkt selection 2021, Sarah Award for Audio Fiction 2020, Jerwood/Royal Court New Playwright Award 2019 (with Jasmine Lee-Jones), Women’s Prize for Playwriting Finalist 2020, Bruntwood Prize shortlist 2019. Upcoming work includes commissions from Schauspielhaus Wien, Headlong, Unicorn Theatre, and the Javaad Alipoor Company.
Guest Reader
Omar Elerian is a freelance director, dramaturg, and theatre-maker. Italian of Palestinian descent, Elerian trained in Italy and then graduated from Lecoq International Theatre School in Paris in 2005. He was the resident associate director at London’s Bush Theatre from 2012 to 2019 where he commissioned and directed some of the theatre’s most successful shows.
His directing credits at the Bush include the smash-hit Misty by Arinzé Kene (Bush Theatre, West End and New York), NASSIM by Nassim Soleimanpour (Bush Theatre, Traverse Theatre, and world tour), Going Through by Estelle Savasta, and Islands by Caroline Horton. His most recent directing credits include Nowhere by Khalid Abdalla (FUEL/BAC/tour) The Chairs and Rhinoceros by Eugene Ionesco (Almeida Theatre); Two Palestinians Go Dogging by Sami Ibrahim (Royal Court), As You Like It (Royal Shakespeare Company) and ECHO by Nassim Soleimanpour (LIFT/Royal Court/tour).
Fees
The full fee for this course is £740. This includes your accommodation in a single room with shared bathroom, all meals, hot drinks and snacks from Monday afternoon until Saturday morning, and your tuition. For more information about the format and practicalities of our courses, tutored courses, and retreats, please visit our About the Residential Courses & Retreats page..
A limited number of en-suite rooms are available, which can be booked in advance for a £50 surcharge. We will also reserve an en-suite room for anyone who may need it due to a medical condition. This will be offered out as an upgrade nearer the course start date if it is not needed.
A limited number of Twin Room places are available at a discounted price of £690 per person. When booking a Twin Room place, please tell us in the comments box which gender you are and which gender(s) you are comfortable sharing a room with. This information will remain confidential.
A small single room with a skylight is available at a discounted price of £715. Please note this room does not have an ordinary window, only a small skylight.
A deposit is required to secure your place, which is non-refundable after a 14-day cooling-off period. The balance payment of £590 is due six weeks before the course begins. Please read our Terms & Conditions for full details about our cancellation policy. If you would like to pay the full amount in advance, please email info@moniackmhor.org.uk.
Bursaries are always available, and you also have the option to pay in instalments. If you have any problems paying online, or wish to discuss paying in instalments or applying for financial help, or would simply like assistance, please contact us by emailing info@moniackmhor.org.uk.
Access
Please let us know in your booking form if you have any access requirements, for example a ground floor bedroom and / or access to a step-free accessible shower room. We also reserve one en-suite bedroom per course for anyone who may need this due to a medical condition. For more information about access to our courses, please visit our Access page.
Terms and Conditions
Please read our Terms & Conditions before booking.